I love Sunday.
It’s like a mini version of the New Year — you’ve got the week spread in front of you. A clean slate, with days to fill, and things to do.
Except this Sunday. I’m looking at my week and it’s already booked solid. Appointments, deadlines, and important things to figure out. Today, instead of the usual anticipation, I’m feeling a bit of overwhelm even before the week starts.
Break it down. Prioritize.
On my schedule all I see are the to-do’s, not the blank spaces. I can guarantee that there are more hours spent doing the normal routine, the schedule, versus the many items to do. So I start to break down my days. Wisely. I schedule writing time in the early morning or late at night. I also give myself a lovely Monday morning to write while I wait for Chloe to finish teaching ballet. I’ll plan my meals — at least give myself an idea of what we’ll be eating over the course of the week. I’ll spend about an hour today organizing our academics — filing, printing, and scheduling. And I’ll update a master calendar with all the to-do items.
And prayer. Sometimes it’s all too easy to overlook the value of dedicating one’s week to the Lord. It’s easy to just get up, look at the schedule and attempt to fly through the week on your own strength — and then, at least for me, I’m normally exhausted by Monday morning. So this year, as part of being resolute, I’m taking some minutes to pray about my week before it happens.
The week will happen. And I know there will be wrinkles added {look at my last week Friday}, but that is okay. I will continue to press on, to be aware, and to use my time wisely.
Take five minutes. Grab your planner. Look at your week.
First priority?
Dedicate your week to the Lord.
12 comments
Love your outlook my dear, your blog is a place I have to visit to help me in my focus … you do it well!
What planner would that be? 😉
I take an afternoon on the weekend to put all our school things together and look at my calendar, but I’m afraid I’ll just never be that organized. I don’t have it in me.
I do the same thing every Sunday! LOVE prayerfully looking over my week, budgeting in all that needs to get done, and all that I want to purposefully do, beyond appointments and other calendar items “required” of me. I plan friend-time, husband-time, and dreaming-time.
Thanks for your perspective, Rachel!!
I am home this morning. Everyone else, except Rosie, is at church. She was up all night. Which means I was up all night. Must be something I ate. But what?
So I’m sipping some sleepytime tea while Rosie naps (that’s where I’m headed) and come over here to read.
I just love seeing your healthy Samuel. What a blessing it is to have a strong boy and devoted family. I rejoice with you in each triumph and pray for little Samuel. He’s such a charmer.
Have a wonderful week in the LORD!
~Cinnamon
Great post for today. Thanks for the gentle nudge 🙂
I saw the title for this post and thought: that is SO where I am at! Fortunately we don’t have a busy week, BUT I really need to prioritize more so that we get to do things we want to do, instead of spending time on things that are not a priority.
I’m taking care of my 3 year old granddaughter this week while daughter and her hubby are on a cruise. That includes going to ballet lessons and homeschooling Monday thru Thursday. I NEED to dedicate this week to the Lord and depend on Him every waking minute. Thanks for the reminder, friend!
God first, and then all the other things just fall into place. Have a blessed week.
Thank you! Couldn’t have said it any better!
i love what you do to prepare for the week. my year is supposed to be a year of focus. i need to spend some time focusing on the upcoming week.
You’ve got a great start on the week already! You go, girl!!!!!!!!!
Know that I’m still here praying for your family!
2 Samuel 22:29-33 For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness. For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall. As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him. For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God? God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.
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Thanks for the encouragement to not give up on the planning ahead.
I try to plan for my family so we don’t forget to take time for the important things. We moved a month or two ago, and I couldn’t figure out why everything was in such chaos after all the stuff was put away. It finally hit me that we were running helter skelter all over without purpose to our time. So, I pulled out my planning pages that I print from Ms. Voskamp’s website and planned out the rest of the week. It takes time, but the peace it gives us knowing we aren’t overlooking the important is worth every second of effort. 🙂